The Fowler surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 104,515 people carried this name — #299 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 2,820 people counted. That is up 2% from 102,620 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Fowler surname
A surname originating as an occupation for a hunter of birds.
From fowler. George Ryerson Fowler, the German surgeon developer of the position.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Fowler» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 17 births for the Fowler name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
73 people named Fowler live in Switzerland.
They live in 7 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 63 people named Fowler live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Córdoba.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 31 people named Fowler.
Most of them — 28 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 3 départements, most often Oise.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In the Nordic population registers
96 people named Fowler are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s
Fowler was found among the farmers of 12 counties.
It was most frequent in Gloucestershire: 40 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 250. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.
Where it concentrates, on the mapPer 10,000 farmers, by county
And 4 more counties.
H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.
In Scotland’s registers today
Fowler was recorded 48 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.
That made it the 544th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 96. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.
National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the first U.S. census, 1790
447 families named Fowler, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.
Each family is counted by its head. About 2,508 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.
Families, by state
U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 240 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.
In print
Fowler in American newspapers,
1916–1921.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 730,507 pages in all carry the name.
In print
Fowler in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2010s.
161,323 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fowler. The most, 27,178, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.5 times its expected share.
Articles, by state
Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fowler.
Who carried it
People named Fowler,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Edward Fowler 1632–1714 · Anglican priest -
Richard Fowler 1765–1863 · physician -
Samuel Fowler 1779–1844 · politician -
Orson S. Fowler 1809–1887 · publisher -
Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet 1817–1898 · architect
Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — Sir John Fowler, 1st Baronet: Lock & Whitfield (?)., CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 216 lives in all are documented under this name.
In the public record
People named Fowler,
in the records of 7 countries.
Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.
United States9,164 records
- U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 3,686
- New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,902
- Other U.S. records 3,576
-
Example: U.S. war memorial War record James Jewel FowlerBorn 1947; from La Monte, Missouri. U.S. Navy, aviation electrician's mate; died in an accident 1969 in North Vietnam. Buried at Missouri Veterans Cemetery/Higginsville, Missouri.
U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: U.S. registration card, 1942 Military record Ridge R. FowlerBorn 1923 in Arkansas. Enlisted 1944 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; transport worker. U.S. Army veteran; died 1984, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.
U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record John FowlerArrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Glasgow and Moville, aged 26; gardener. From Edinburgh, Scotland; bound for Philadelphia.
U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
Showing 3 of 9,164 records for Fowler in the United States.
Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).
Australia3,481 records
- Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,868
- Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 644
- Other Australian records 969
-
Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829 Transportation record Emma FowlerTransported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Tasmania, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Bedminster, Somerset. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1846. Married 1847 in Bothwell, Tasmania, aged 27.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829 Transportation record Ephram FowlerTransported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the England, sailing from London in 1832. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1839.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) -
Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829 Transportation record James FowlerTransported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Maitland, sailing from Plymouth in 1843. Native of Birmingham, Warwickshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1855. Married 1855 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 32.
Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 3,481 records for Fowler in Australia.
Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).
Canada700 records
- Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 467
- Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 71
- Other Canadian records 162
-
Example: German emigration file, 1883 Emigration record Mary FowlerLeft New York in 1783 aboard the Apollo, bound for Port Roseway, aged 9.
Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. -
Example: passenger manifest, 1903 Passenger record John FowlerCame to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Ottawa, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; Scotch.
Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. -
Example: Canadian cemetery Burial record Alfred James FowlerBuried in 1985 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 85.
City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
Showing 3 of 700 records for Fowler in Canada.
Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).
United Kingdom218 records
- War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 96
- Stirling Council burial records 68
- Other British records 54
-
Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919 War record William FowlerBorn 1866 at Whitemire. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).
National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Jessie FowlerDied 1932, aged 52; buried at Kilmadock Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.
Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. -
Example: probate petition, 1848 Probate record Ann FowlerWill proved in 1936; of Swansea.
National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
Showing 3 of 218 records for Fowler in the United Kingdom.
Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).
New Zealand88 records
- Christchurch City cemetery records 56
- Marlborough District cemetery records 18
- Other New Zealand records 14
-
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record Mary FowlerDied 1925, aged 61; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.
Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: civil register, 1880 Death record Hector George FowlerBorn 1923, died 1966; ashes interred at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.
Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: burial register, 1858 Burial record John Alexander Sharp FowlerDied 1973, aged 85; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.
Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 88 records for Fowler in New Zealand.
Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).
Netherlands23 records
- Dutch church registers before 1811 10
- Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 7
- Dutch population registers 6
-
Example: marriage register, 1911 Marriage record Alexander Proud FowlerMarried in 1928 in Haarlem; engineer.
Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: U.S. census, 1910 Population register John FowlerIn the population register of Bootte Lancis (Gb); student, born 1909 in Bootte Lancis (Gb).
Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0) -
Example: civil register, 1880 Death record Bostwick Degrassé FowlerDied 1890 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 67.
Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
Showing 3 of 23 records for Fowler in the Netherlands.
Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).
France4 records
-
Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Barbara Lee FowlerBorn 1928 in the United States; died 1998 in Paris.
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte) -
Example: French death register, 1930 Death record Elisabeth FowlerBorn 1910 in Canada; died 2000 in Saint-Pierre.
Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
Showing 2 of 4 records for Fowler in France.
Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Fowler.
- Fournier 14,449 · U.S. census
- Fourre 117 · U.S. census
- Fourt 101 · U.S. census
- Foust 12,366 · U.S. census
- Fouts 5,545 · U.S. census
- Foux 192 · U.S. census
- Fox 152,334 · U.S. census
- Foy 12,952 · U.S. census
- Foyer 148 · U.S. census
- Fracassi 313 · U.S. census
- Fracchia 182 · U.S. census
- Frąckowiak 119 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Fowler is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.